Qatar rejects demands made by Arab countries

ROME – Qatar has reportedly rejected the list of demands handed out by several other Arab states, its foreign minister said on Saturday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Than further added that their ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country’s sovereignty, ARY News reported.

The minister, while speaking to reporters in Rome, said Doha was still ready to sit down and discuss the grievances raised by its Arab neighbours.

“This list of demands is to be rejected, not to be accepted. We are willing to engage in dialogue but under proper conditions,” he said, adding that Qatar would not close down a Turkish military base in his country or shut the Doha-based satellite channel Al Jazeera as demanded by the Arab countries.